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Questionnaire

MAKE DISCIPLES OF ALL NATIONS

Matthew 28:1-20
Key Verse: 28:19-20a

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you…”

1. Read verses 1-4. Who came to the tomb and why? What shows the women’s love for Jesus and courage? What happened when they arrived at the tomb? Describe the appearance of the angel who sat on the stone. What happened to the guards?

2. Read verses 5-7. How did the angel address the women? (5) What good news did the angel tell the women? What does “just as he said” tell us? What does “he has risen” mean to you? What task did the angel give the women and why is their testimony important? (6b-7)

3. Read verses 8-10. What did the women do and who met them? How did they respond? What did Jesus say to them? How does this show the grace, love, and hope of the Risen Christ for his disciples?

4. Read verses 11-15. How did the religious leaders respond to the guards’ report? Why did they and the guards suppress the truth? What do we learn here?

5. Read verses 16-18. Where did the 11 disciples gather to meet Jesus and why? (16; 7,10) When they saw Jesus, what were two responses? Why did some doubt? (8:26; 14:31) What was the scope and origin of Risen Jesus’ authority? (18; Philippians 2:9-11) What did this mean to his disciples and what does this mean for us?

6. Read verses 19-20. What mission did Jesus give his disciples? What does it mean to make disciples? Whom should be made disciples? How were they to make disciples? What did Jesus promise his disciples? (20b) Think about God’s hope and love for the world.

Attachment:

• Matthew 28(1-20).que.docx

Message

MAKE DISCIPLES OF ALL NATIONS

(Matthew 28:1-20)

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.’” (vs. 19, 20)

            We have now reached the conclusion of our Matthew’s Gospel study. From the beginning, we learned that Jesus is our King, the Immanuel God, who came to be with us. Although he is the King, he did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. (Matthew 20:28) In the previous passages, Jesus was tried, condemned, and crucified like a criminal. Isaiah 53:5, explains the meaning of his suffering and death. “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.” On the Cross, through his suffering and death, Jesus broke the power of sin, death and Satan and forgave our sins and reconciled us to God. By faith in Jesus, we can now access God with confidence and call him Abba, Father. In Jesus, we have peace with God and with others. We have hope of the eternal life and glorious kingdom of God. This is the good news of great joy for all mankind.  

            In today’s passage, we have another greatest news for all mankind. Jesus’ death was not the end of the story. Christ has risen! Jesus’ death and resurrection are together the two pillars of the gospel, the good news. Let’s think about what Jesus’ resurrection means to us. Let’s also learn what the risen King Jesus is doing for world salvation and what our part in his plan must be.

            I. He is not here; he has risen. (vs. 1-15)

After crucifying Jesus, the chief priests and the Pharisees went to Pilate to secure the tomb because they remembered that Jesus had said, “After three days I will rise again.” So, Pilate ordered his soldiers to put a seal on the stone and to post a guard in front of the tomb. (27:62-66) Anyone who broke the Roman seal would be punished by death. Now it was impossible for anyone, whether Jesus’ disciples or his enemies, to get in or out of the tomb.

            Look at verse 1. “After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.” Jesus had been crucified on Friday. Joseph of Arimathea had taken down Jesus’ body and placed him in the new tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joses witnessed Jesus’ crucifixion and burial. (Mark 15:47) They went home and kept the Sabbath. It was now early Sunday morning as the sunrise came over the horizon. They made their way to the tomb in which Jesus’ nail-scarred body, wrapped in a linen cloth, had been placed. The other gospels say that they wanted to anoint Jesus’ body with spices. The love of these women was so beautiful, but their hearts were broken and heavy with sorrow because of the injustice that was done to the One they loved above everything else. Images of Jesus on the Cross were embedded in their minds. All they could do was mourn. Who could comfort and heal their sorrow and despair?

            But something amazing was waiting for them. Verses 2-4 say, “There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.”  The stone at the entrance of the tomb was like the power of death itself: massive, immovable, concealing darkness, and having only one way in and no way out. But in an instant, a magnificent angel came down from heaven and triumphantly rolled away the heavy stone without any trouble at all and sat on it. He shone with great brilliance like that of a lightning bolt, and his clothes were white as snow. The radiance of the angel reflected the glory of the Risen Christ. His appearance was so awesome that the well-trained Roman soldiers just became like dead men, not daring to even think about fighting him.

            But even more amazing than this was what the angel said to the women. Look at verses 5 and 6. “The angel said to the women, ‘Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.’” The angel proclaimed the good news of great joy to the women. “He is not here; he has risen, just as he said.” This is the most powerful and joyful news in human history. The angel reminded them that Jesus had risen just as he had clearly predicted several times beforehand. Not only that, but it also fulfilled what had been prophesied in the Old Testament through the Psalms and the Prophets centuries earlier.

            The angel invited the women to see for themselves saying, “Come and see the place where he lay.” A dead Jesus was nowhere to be found. The empty tomb quietly proclaimed that Jesus’ resurrection was a historical event. Furthermore, it shows us that Jesus was not raised as a ghost or a spirit, but in a glorious resurrection body that we can also look forward to. The most important question we have to ask ourselves is, “What does Jesus’ resurrection mean?”

First, Jesus proves that he is the Son of God. Even many unbelievers know that Jesus was a great teacher, moralist, or prophet. But Jesus also said things like, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) If Jesus was not raised, there would be no proof that such words were true. But his resurrection emphatically validated his divine identity. It allows us to fully accept all of Jesus’ teachings with trust and faith. Jesus’ resurrection shows that he died for our sins and his atoning sacrifice was perfectly effective to save us from our sins. Sometimes our own weaknesses can make us doubt our salvation. But Jesus’ resurrection is God’s seal of approval of our salvation.

Second, Jesus proves that he already defeated the power of death. When God created Adam and Eve, his plan was that they would live in perfect harmony with him forever. But Satan was determined to change that, and with his lies he lured them away from God. When that happened, death came upon humans. Since then, all men, great and small alike, have yielded to death. In the Bible, God had previously demonstrated his resurrection power by raising several people from the dead, but all of them eventually had to die again. The world was a sea of death, full of graves and dying people. All the activities of men could be compared to swimming in a cold, dark ocean like the passengers aboard the Titanic after it sank.

But in the dark history of this world, Christ became the first man who conquered death and rose again in the glorious and immortal resurrection body. By his death and resurrection, Jesus Christ proved that he is the Son of God, Resurrection and the Life. Once Jesus visited the weeping sisters, Mary and Martha, who were mourning the death of their beloved brother, Lazarus. Jesus said to Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” (John 11:25) Through his own resurrection, Jesus proved that he broke the power of death. All who are in Christ Jesus are free from the power of death. Death has now been put to death! To God’s children, even our physical death is only the gateway to eternity. In Christ, we are meant to live forever. Jesus’ resurrection proves that death has indeed been conquered and gives us a sure hope of our own future resurrection. Like the Risen Christ, each of us will have an imperishable, glorious, and spiritual resurrection body.

Third, Jesus’ resurrection guarantees us the kingdom of heaven.  Before his crucifixion, Jesus comforted his fearful disciples, “My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am” (Jn 14:2-3). Jesus assures us that heaven is a definite place. Through his resurrection and ascension, Jesus proves that heaven is real. Christ’s motive in coming to earth was love, and his goal was to destroy death and take us to be with the Father forever. Jesus’ resurrection proves beyond all doubt that death is not the end, and ahead of us is heaven.

Life in this world has its share of joys and laughter, but life is often very hard and rough even to the children of God. Temptations assail us; people disappoint us; illness and age weaken us; tragedies and sorrows ambush us; evil and injustice overpower us. But in the midst of life’s disappointments and sufferings, Jesus’ resurrection guarantees us that God is good and heaven is real.

The Bible doesn’t answer all our questions about heaven and what it will be like – because heaven is far more perfect, glorious and beautiful than anything we can imagine. Everything needed for our happiness will be there. Only in heaven will we know exactly what heaven is like. The writer of Revelation, searching for words to describe his glimpse of heaven’s splendor, said that “It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal...The great street of the city was of gold, as pure as transparent glass” (Revelation 21:11, 21). Because of Jesus’ resurrection, we know heaven is real and we have hope. No matter what happens to us now, we know ahead of us is the joy of heaven. Our ultimate citizenship is in heaven. (Philippians 3:20).

As the reality of the Resurrection began to sink in, the women’s minds were slowly opened to understand all these things. They began to see a whole new world and experience new joy they had never felt before. Then the angel gave them a special mission of great urgency. He said, “Then go quickly and tell his disciples: ‘He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.’ Now I have told you.” (7) Good news must be told. Jesus has risen! It was the news that good conquered evil; life conquered death; love conquered hatred. The women were to share the good news of the Resurrection with Jesus’ disciples as of first importance. “So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples.” (8)

Now on the way, they received the greatest blessing of all. Verse 9 says, “Suddenly Jesus met them. ‘Greetings,’ he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him.” Now the women could personally see the Risen Jesus with their own eyes and touch him with their own hands. They clasped his feet and worshiped him. They believed that the Risen Jesus was the Son of God, worthy of their worship. Jesus said to the women, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.” (10) The joy of meeting the Risen Christ dispelled all their sorrow and despair, and they became the first witnesses of Jesus’ resurrection.

Stephen Curtis Chapman has been one of the most popular Contemporary Christian Music artists for over the past decades. In 2008, his family was struck with tragedy. They had adopted a young baby girl, Maria, from China. Stephen always felt a close connection with his new daughter. Then one day while one of their sons was returning home in his truck, he accidentally struck the 5-year-old Maria, who was running to meet him in the driveway. They didn’t see each other in time. She was pronounced dead at the hospital. Stephen cried out to God. He asked for His help to bring her back. Yet after a few minutes his wife Mary Beth said, “I really think we are supposed to let her go for now.” For some time, Chapman wrestled with his beliefs. He now had to cope with the loss of Maria, as well as take care of his whole grieving family, especially his son Will, who had driven the truck. He doubted he would want to write a song and ever sing again. He had no desire to share that pain through music. But in time, God helped him to overcome it. He encountered Jesus newly and began writing much again. He released the album, “Beauty Will Rise,” as his personal testament to Maria’s life and the belief that they will be together again one day in God’s kingdom. His wife also faced deep despair until she encountered Jesus who brought her healing. She once lived quietly behind the shadow of her husband, but now is witnessing the power of Jesus’ healing to many struggling women seeking guidance. The power of Jesus’ resurrection helped this family conquer the sorrow and despair of this world and brought them new joy as God’s servants. The Risen Jesus can help anyone and everyone in any situation. When we encounter the Risen Christ, our lives can be turned around and we can be joyful witnesses of Jesus’ resurrection.

 We can ask ourselves. Am I still looking for a tomb in which Satan rules? Am I still confined in the tomb where death is dominant? Is my heart discouraged and despaired by this world? Let’s listen to the angel’s message! “He is not here; he has risen.” Let’s keep our eyes firmly fixed on the Risen Jesus who defeated the power of sin and death, who is preparing our eternal dwelling place, and who will someday come to give us our glorious resurrection bodies and eternal place. May God bless each of us to live as a powerful witness of Jesus’ resurrection!

In verses 11-15, the guards woke up in the meantime, found the tomb empty and reported what had happened to the chief priests. The chief priests and elders had all the evidence they needed to believe that Jesus had risen from the dead. But they decided not to believe it. They bribed the guards and promoted a lie that the disciples had stolen the body. However, their actions could not conceal the good news. The evidence is all there. But the decision to believe must be ours.

            II. Go and make disciples (vs. 16-20).

Look at verses 16, 17. “Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted.” After the disciples heard Jesus’ message to go to Galilee, they went to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted (16-17). Amazingly Jesus embraced all of them. He knew that all his disciples needed to be strengthened in resurrection faith and when they put their faith in him, they would become changed men.

“Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me’” (18). What does it mean that Jesus has all authority in heaven and on earth? It means that Jesus is the King and the Ruler of this universe. He is sovereign over all nations, peoples, and individuals. He has the authority to forgive sins. (Mark 2:10) He has the authority to give life and to judge. (John 5:21-22)

What does Jesus command with his authority?  Look at verses 19, 20a. “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” This is Jesus’ Great Commission. Notice how it starts with the strong word, “therefore.” It’s by his all-surpassing authority that Jesus gives us this urgent Commission, which is to go and make disciples of all nations. This Great Commission gives all believers the supreme purpose and mission in life. Jesus’ followers aren’t meant to be spectators; they are to go out into the world with faith and God’s hope for world mission. Participating in God’s mission is the most glorious calling and makes our lives so meaningful for eternity.

At the same time, when we obey Jesus and do what he tells us to do, his authority backs us up. We are Jesus’ ambassadors with his authority to call people to life and salvation. Sometimes people may say, “How can you teach the Bible? Where is your seminary degree?” The command of Jesus, who has all authority in heaven and on earth, is our authority.

With his authority, Jesus commands us, “go and make disciples of all nations.” In the word “go”, we can learn Jesus’ broken heart to save all the people of the world. God loves all the people of the world. Jesus died for all people of all nations. People are waiting for the good news of the kingdom of God in every place. But why does Jesus focus on discipleship ministry? Why not just focus on making converts? For making disciples is God’s perfect plan and wisdom to preserve the life-giving Gospel and to expand his kingdom to the ends of the earth and from generation to generation. A disciple is a learner and follower of Jesus Christ. During his earthly ministry, Jesus concentrated his effort on raising a handful of disciples. Now the Risen Christ could use the disciples to found the Church because they had followed him closely and knew him very personally. They were now prepared to go out and make disciples who could make disciples and so on and so forth. Now if we accept Jesus’ command, how are we to actually carry it out? How can we make disciples?

Jesus explains in verses 19b-20 when he says, “…baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”  First, by baptizing them. Baptism is not an empty ritual, but a confirmation of our salvation and spiritual rebirth. It signifies our repentance and turning to faith in Christ. The submersion into water symbolizes dying to our old self and being raised to new life with Christ. It is a time to publicly confess our faith and our life-long commitment to following Jesus. Through this command, Jesus also clearly reveals the essence of the Triune God. Christians should grow to understand the unity of God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. The Father is the Creator and Owner of all things. He loves the world. The Son Jesus purchased our salvation by his blood; The Holy Spirit is the one who works in us to give us a new birth. Only through sincere repentance and commitment to Jesus in the name of the Triune God can one experience the most meaningful fellowship with God and begin to grow as a disciple.

Second, by teaching them to obey. “Teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” This means that we must study and teach the Bible. A disciple is a learner. Bible study is not just done with the head. We must obey God’s word with our hearts and eventually our hands and feet. But obedience is not natural because of our sinful nature. Obedience requires learning and training. It reminds me of a book entitled “Disciples are made, not born” written by Walter A. Henrichsen. No one likes discipline or training. But no one can obey the word of God without discipline. To help others to obey God’s words, we must first be trained and be good disciples of Jesus. Those who are humble enough to be changed by the word of God can be used preciously to be disciple makers.

Third, by relying on Jesus. Read verse 20b again. “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” This is a promise fulfilled by the coming of the Holy Spirit. Jesus is with us through the Holy Spirit. He is with us wherever we go and strengthens us to carry out his commands. Discipleship is possible because the Sovereign Ruler Jesus Christ is with us and he calls and raises his disciples through his servants. Therefore, we must go and make disciples by depending on him daily.

Today, we learned that Jesus is no longer in the tomb; he has risen in the glorious resurrection body! He broke the power of death and guaranteed us our own glorious resurrection and the heavenly kingdom. He has been given all authority in heaven and on earth. With this authority, he has commanded us to go and make disciples of all nations. He has promised to be with us. May God strengthen us to live with resurrection faith, obey his Great Commission, and experience the power of the Risen Christ in each of our lives! 

Attachment:

• Matthew28(1-20).mg.2023.docx